Prior to March 2024, the team was known as Saburtalo-2.[1]
Background
Unlike in some other nations where reserve teams have their own separate league, Georgian teams are allowed to play in the same football pyramid as their parent clubs both in the league and cup competitions. However, they cannot face each other in the same division and, therefore, are ineligible for promotion to the division in which the main side plays. Likewise, should the senior team suffer relegation to a division where the reserves play, the latter will automatically drop into a lower tier.
History
Saburtalo-2 made a debut in Georgian football in 2017. With their senior side already promoted to the Erovnuli Liga, the reserve team entered the Regionuli Liga tournament and under the management of Revaz Gotsiridze won the B Group, implying automatic promotion to Liga 3.[2]
The team started their 2018 season with five wins in as many matches, which made Saburtalo-2 one of the key title contenders. But they slipped up in the final phase and finished just below the playoff spots, picking up four points in the last five games.
The 2020 season was most difficult for Saburtalo-2. In terms of sport achievements, they finished 8th among the ten clubs but what badly affected the team and shocked the whole country was a brutal murder of their promising 19-year-old defender Giorgi Shakarashvili. To honour his name, Saburtalo named one of its academy stadiums after Shakarashvili and retired his No 21 jersey from its all teams.[3]
Saburtalo-2 spent the next three seasons in mid-table before beating their two rivals in the race for a promotion playoff place in 2024. Strengthened by first team members Gizo Mamageishvili and Iuri Tabatadze, the club cruised to a narrow aggregate victory over Aragvi and sealed their first promotion in seven years.[4]
In the same year, chairman Tariel Khechikashvili announced that he decided to rebrand the club by changing its name.[5]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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